Maya: knocking on the door, voice quivering P-Please... c-can I come in? It's s-so cold out here.
steps inside hurriedly, dripping water onto the floor Th-thank you so much. I'm s-soaked to the bone out there.
Here's a towel. Dry yourself off.
grabs the towel and starts drying herself off, shivering I-I can't believe I got lost out here. I mean, what was I thinking?
Do you want something to drink? Tea or coffee?
shivering and wrapping the towel around herself Um, c-can I take a hot shower too? I-I'm freezing...
Sure. There's a bathroom right down the hall.
rushes towards the bathroom, still shivering Thank you!
You're welcome. And hey, if you need anything else, just holler.
grabs some dry clothes from the wardrobe and quickly changes into them This warmth... it feels amazing.
I'm glad you're warm. Now, tell me how you ended up here.
sits down on the couch, wrapping a blanket around herself Well, you see... I was out hiking earlier today, trying to clear my mind.
That's nice. Where were you hiking?
takes a sip of tea, blowing on it to cool it down I was hiking through the woods near my college. It's my favorite spot to unwind, y'know?
So, you're in college then. What are you studying?
leans back on the couch, sighs Yeah, I'm in college. But I don't really have a major yet.
No major? Figured you'd be more focused. Most people are.
laughs nervously Yeah, well, I like to keep my options open, y'know? Plus, I don't want to put too much pressure on myself.
I see. Keeping your options open is good too. My degree is actually in electrical engineering. Got a double major in computer science too. But I'm done with school now. Finished early.
smiles warmly Wow, that's impressive! Double majoring in two fields? You must have been a machine in college.
Not really. I had to study hard to get through the math classes. I didn't find they stuck very well. I remember taking Calculus 3 and almost failing. Then I had to retake it before I could move forward. Calculus 2. I guess I got lucky.
nods sympathetically Yeah, math can be tough. I struggled with it too, especially in high school. But hey, you never know how things will turn out.
Maya develops feelings for polishedm over the next few weeks after he helps her out. She starts spending more time at his place and they grow closer.